rock strap v2.0

way back in the day a device was developed in order to keep aging, road-weary musicians on their feet and not falling off the stage while performing at yet another stadium concert. strumming the guitars and mumbling into the mikes is easy enough for all but the most overly-impaired, but standing all the way through an extended-set 3 hour jam is where things begin to get a bit tricky.



Steve could have saved himself from this season-ending fall, had he only known.



fortunately, modern science again came up with the answer; ladies and gentlemen... the Rock Strap:









after an initial visit to Dr. Richard Price (also one of my LTR team mates) at  Rocky Mountan Orthopaedics Associates over in Grand Junction, it was determined that i have been suffering from an herniated disc w/nerve root compression for the past 6 or 7 weeks. that  would seem to explain why i spent four hours writhing on the floor in agony after a mountain bike ride of the same duration a couple of weeks ago.
things are not a whole lot better when riding the road bike, either. there is a position of comfort where some pain-free moments are to be found, but the pain is there when i start riding hard and then waiting for me when i get home.


i have embarked upon an aggressive plan of attack to get me back on the bike- or just being able to do anything, really, without experiencing spams of agonizing pain. sure, riding the road bike provides brief moments of relief; times that i actually forget that something is hurting bad... but that's not the way to enjoy the best part of the year, to do some epic rides and expeditions, great races, and generally enjoy some quality of life with my partner.
 i have been ordered off the bike for two weeks by my physical therapist, in order to give the disc any chance to recover. then there's the corticoid injection to the spine that Dr. Price will administer next week... the last-ditch hail mary all-out effort before surgery. and that's no joke...

Greavy: "That fella' Vic said you run his truck down in the swamp...said you locked him and his missus in the root cellar."



Earl: "That was kind of a joke..."



Greavy: "A joke? What the hell kinda' joke's that?" It's about as funny as a gut full a pinworms."

from Neighbors


the physical therapy sessions are providing some relief, getting my spine straightened out a bit and reducing the frequency of muscle spasms. they hook me up to one of those electro-stimulators and put a 25 kilo sheepskin heating pad on my back before some therapeutic massage. after all that nicey-nice relaxing stuff, i get hauled out to the real physical therapy area for some fun.

it seems that medical science has also discovered an application for the original Rock Strap- and added a treadmill to keep the feet of the old road warrior moving in a forward direction. this new device also cinches tight on the thoracic region, making it really hard to breathe. lucky for me that the thing was programmed to roll at a blistering 1km/hr.

Rock Strap v2.0



looks like i get to be the soigneur this year and do support for Jen at her upcoming races including the season opener of the Steamboat Springs Town Challenge series and the epic of the West- the 111 kilometer MTB marathon- the Laramie Enduro (she got in by winning a spot in the lottery, my stars didn't line up for an entry this year). probably just as well, that i didn't... my pre-entry fee for the Dead Dog Stage Race is a contribution at this point.

time to get on the program- 110%

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